The Parable of the Sower (from Matthew 13): The Kingdom of Heaven (God), An Executive Summary
This is our 8th episode of the Pondering the Parables devotional series and six of them have focused on the “The Kingdom of Heaven is like …” parables found in Matthew chapter 13. This chapter constitutes the third of Matthew’s five discourses. Matthew organizes his Gospel around these discourses … and if you have a “red letter” Bible that highlights Jesus’s words by printing them in red, the five discourses are easy to spot … they are the big chunks of red in Matthew that are surrounded by his narrative, which is printed in standard black.
For those curious about this structure, the five discourses are traditionally entitled as follows: The Sermon on the Mount (Mttw. 5-7); The Missionary Discourse (Mttw. 10); The Parables of the Kingdom (Mttw. 13); The Discourse on the Church (Mttw. 18); and the Mt. of Olives Discourse (Mttw. 24-25).
We have addressed this Parables Discourse in a somewhat random order … you may ask why we are looking at this Parable of the Sower last in this chapter even though it is the first of the Discourse. The answer is simple … I am letting the Spirit lead me on what to work on … and the order spilled out the way it did!
I mentioned in our last podcast that dealt with the Parable of the Nets, that The Sower, the lead-off parable, acts in many ways as an Executive Summary of the stories that follow. As such, we should expect to hear major “meta-teaching” on the Kingdom of God that Jesus is trying to communicate. And I believe the “meta-teaching” is this: The Kingdom of God is not just future, but present and available to us all. The teachings of the parables in this section are classic Jewish prophecy in that they address the here and now as well as the not yet. As it relates to the Kingdom, it warns of pending judgement for those who turn their back on God and create evil, chaos and misery. But it also speaks of hope and of joy and value and the incredible availability of grace, mercy and lovingkindness that knows no limit.
The parable itself is fairly short. Most classify it as a four-fold similitude. But there is much “editorial” commentary associated with it. There is a classic “Remez,” or a hint or reference to another part of Scripture, in this case, a major quote from Isaiah 6: 9-10. As we have discussed so many times, this type of intertextual conversation is usually the key to a proper understanding of the text.
There are a few other observations to make before we read the text. This parable receives an explanation from Jesus. It marks the third parable that we have studied that receives explanatory commentary from Jesus. The other two are also in Mttw. 13 (The Parables of the Weeds and Nets). So, we obviously this additional teaching from Jesus, Himself, is of prime importance in applying this parable to our lives.
Further, this Parable, unlike most (but not all) of the parables/similitudes in Matthew 13, is recorded by the other synoptic Gospels: Mark in his Gospel (chapter 4) AND Luke in his Gospel (chapter 8). Those authors locate The Sower in totally different contexts … and so, we need to decide if we want to bring in those texts in creating our faith lesson. Believe me, this variance in context is the kind of stuff that scholars love. But I find it distracting. So, we will keep this story, and the ancillary text firmly located in Matthew’s account … and as mentioned, it is the lead-off parable that provides an overview in my opinion of the 7 parables that follow.
The last thing to mention before we read the text is to note how often the words “to hear” and “to see” (and references to ears and eyes) and “to understand” are referenced in Isaiah and by Jesus as He teaches. This kind of repetition is classic Jewish teaching technique and should be a point of focus as we create a faith lesson for our lives.
And now let’s read the text:
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
As we contemplate this text, I think our natural tendency is to equate “the seed” of the similitudes with God’s Word being preached. Certainly, the seed metaphor is often used as a metaphor for The Word. And this is not wrong. But a careful examination of Jesus’s explanation is that “the seed” is also analogous to the actual hearer of The Word. In the Jewish writings of antiquity, the seed is also symbolic of the people of Israel. There are at least half a dozen references in the Hebrew Bible itself equating G-d’s people to seeds and as having been planted.
So, which is the correct symbolism here in this passage? Is seed representative of G-d’s Word being preached, or is it of G-d’s people hearing (seeing) and understanding (or not understanding) His Word?
I side with our conversation partner, Klyne Snodgrass, in believing that we don’t have to make an either/or decision in this case. It is both/and the Word being preached and the response of the actual hearers of the Word preached ... their “hearing, seeing, understanding (or lack thereof) of the teachings. And the key to this understanding is the ‘Remez’ that draws the hearer/reader back to the passage from Isaiah 6.
For those unfamiliar with the Prophet Isaiah, which was written (at least the first 39 chapters) shortly after the time of the Assyrian conquest of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) in 722 BCE. Isaiah prophesied a warning of judgement and an exhortation of repentance and hope to a rebellious people in Judea (the Southern Kingdom), the remnant who had survived the Assyrian conquest, who had “heard G-d’s Word” but were turning away from Him.
Remember, while we in our culture view prophesy as predicting the future, classic Jewish Old Testament prophesy is different. Yes, there is always a futuristic element to it, but at the forefront is a message of warning of pending judgement and a call to repentance and obedience to the generation who is hearing it in the present.
And so Isaiah 6, a top five passage, the so-called commissioning of Isaiah as a prophet, is told by G-d to tell His people what Jesus quoted as part of His explanation. Let’s read it again:
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
This is a weird text. G-d said to Isaiah, “Go preach … but they won’t listen.” What a great motivational speech for Isaiah to hear from G-d! Go do the job I am calling you to do, but you are going to fail! So much for the power of positive thinking!
It is clear that the message of G-d had fallen on deaf ears … not by a bunch of strangers, but by the very people G-d sent Isaiah to prophesy to. This is the connection Jesus is making to the hearers of His parable. The Kingdom is preached … but many won’t hear and understand.
Put yourself in Isaiah’s position. Wouldn’t you be wondering why G-d would have you preach ineffectively? So obviously, Isaiah has a question for G-d. Let’s read the rest of the passage, Isaiah 6: 11-13:
11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
Here we see one of those seed references that point to G-d’s people, the remnant, that will actually respond to His Word. Though most will fall away and be judged, there is a remnant … some hope that the preaching of the Kingdom is not in vain. The Holy Seed will be the stump of the land … the stump where new growth will occur. At this point, the audience hearing Isaiah and hearing Jesus have an advantage over us. This “stump stuff” is a reference to olive tree cultivation, where trees are routinely severely pruned back to “stump status” in order to promote growth and ensure future abundant harvests. Given the predominance of olive production in Israel, the metaphor would have been clearly understood.
So, let’s bring this all together. The key to this parable is the ‘Remez’ or hint back to Isaiah 6. When you hear/see G-d’s Word you can respond in the three modes of failure that the original similitudes allude to (the judgement aspect of the presence of the Kingdom of God). You can fall away when life gets tough and waste the presence of G-d’s Kingdom. Or you can respond positively and be the stump upon which abundance (30 fold, 60 fold or 100 fold) springs forth (that’s the hope of the presence of the Kingdom).
And so, the Parable of the Sower in Matthew’s account sets the stage as an executive summary for the present and future Kingdom of God. With all that we have learned so far through these parables, I pray that you will seek that fourth, hopeful and abundant reality that produces fruit for G-d’s Kingdom and for your life.
Godspeed,
D-Wach
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